Digital4Youth: Together looking for 10,000 laptops for vulnerable students

Posted on Mar 25, 2020 7:04 AM by

Several partners have joined forces to collect 10,000 laptops for students who today have no computer at home. In this way, learning disadvantages among the most socially vulnerable pupils can be avoided. There are already 1,000 laptops available through Close the Gap and DNS Belgium, several governments support the project financially, but the help of companies and citizens is also needed.

Computers are an integral part of our world, also among young people. Young people who today want to take online lessons or receive tasks from the school due to the COVID19 measures taken, obviously need a computer. And unfortunately not all young people have access to a computer at home, even though this is now more necessary than ever.   
  
From Digital For Youth .be (founded by DNS Belgium & Close the Gap) we want to offer help here. We do this in the first place by providing usable laptops for those young people who do not have access to a computer. We want to do this now more than ever, to prevent these youngsters from falling behind in learning. Every day counts. From Digital for Youth, we provide the first load of 1,000 laptops to meet the greatest needs. 

Flemish Minister of Education Ben Weyts frees up resources to put 2,000 extra laptops in order. 
  
"In corona times, we have to connect everyone", says Flemish Minister of Education Ben Weyts. "We absolutely have to avoid the socially vulnerable pupils falling behind in their learning, just because they don't have a computer to work at home for school. The corona crisis may continue for some time to come, so we all need to do an effort right now. I am already releasing funds to put a few thousand laptops in order and I call on everyone to join this project. All digital: together we collect 10,000 laptops. Whoever sits at home should not be cut off from the rest of the class and from the rest of the world". 

Brussels Minister for Dutch-speaking Education Sven Gatz also provides funds for another 500 laptops. 

This is a very nice start, but we are looking for partners to help us increase this number, to reach as many young people as possible. Our goal is to make 10,000 laptops available to students all over Flanders by the end of the Easter holidays.  
  
Good to know: Parallel to this project, Digital For Youth .be is working on a similar initiative for the other regions of Belgium.  

 

How can you help?  

 

  • Donate used laptops as a company  
    • You can register via donations@close-the-gap.org;  
    • Can be picked up from 30 working laptops;  
    • These laptops are professionally and securely prepared for reuse (data removal, possible repairs and upgrades, installation of Microsoft OS and cleaning). 
  • Make a financial contribution   
    • Donations can be made to account BE10 0000 0000 0404 of the King Baudouin Foundation with the mention " L83229 : Digital4Youth " or preferably with the structured code ***128/3229/00092***.
      • Donations of EUR 40 or more are tax-deductible;  
      • For more info: DigitalForYouth.be 

  
Action set up in collaboration with the King Baudouin Foundation & the various authorities. 
  
This action is supported by Dewi Van De Vyver (ICT Woman of the Year 2020 & CEO Flow Pilots) as a godmother and Filip Michiels (CIO of the Year 2019, CIO of TUI) as a godfather. 


"As ICT Woman of the Year, I have no choice but to support DigitalforYouth's initiative. Now, more than ever, we have to try to bridge the digital divide, which now threatens to widen even further, as quickly as possible for our  youth," says Dewi Van De Vyver.

"In these times where many people are worried about their physical health, we should certainly not forget that our minds also remain sufficiently healthy. Our children are our future and unfortunately not everyone has the digital means to continue building this future from a distance. This initiative, which is committed to closing this digital divide, is therefore very close to my heart," adds Filip Michiels.
  
More information can also be found on the website: Digital For Youth .be 
     
Minimum Specs of laptops that can be donated:  
 
This would be about the following configurations:  

  • Core i3  
  • Core i5  
  • Core i7  
  • With charger   

The emphasis is on still working devices, sufficiently recent to be able to run the most common programs in a normal way.